Exhaust-treating apparatus for steam-power plants



Nov. 20, 1928. A 1,692,020

A. J. ARMsoN EXHAUST TREATING APPARATUS TOR STEAM POWER PLANTS Filed July 2o, 1925 5 sheets-sheet 1 Uil/@7 Nav., 20, 1928.

A. J. ARMsoN i EXHAUST TREATING APPARATUS FOR STEAM POWER PLANTS Filed July 2o. 1925 s sheets-sheep 2 #Wj/mm fam Maggi] New E92@ LGSZOZ@ v A A. J, ARMSON EXHAUST TREATING APPARATUS FOR STEAM POWER PLANTS Filed July 2o, v1925 5 sheets-Sheet 3 In/ventola m mmf/ML Gttoz mz 14a Patent'ed Nov. 20, 1928. l

lUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE..

ALBERT J. ARMSONgOF PORT HURON, lMICHIIIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO THE ARMSON EX- HAUST HEATING COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

-EXHAUST-TREATING APPARATUS FOR STEAM-POWER PLANTS.

Application filed July 20, 1925 Serial No. 44,713.

This invention relates to exhaust treating apparatus for steam power plants such as are employed on steamboats, especially those plying fresh Water lakes as the Great Lakes,

plants of this kind having a main' engine for propelling the boat and a large number of auxiliary engines.

More particularly ,the present invention -is an improvement over the exhaust treat lo ing apparatus shown and described invmy prior applications, Serial No. 613,932, filed January 20, 1923, and Serial No. 15,672,4iled March 14, 1925.

As explained in my first application above referred to, in steam plants on boats such as those plying the Great Lakes, it has been customary to lead exhaust steamfroin 'the main engine directto a Jet condenser and to pump the boiler feed Water from a Well into which the condenser Water is pumped and to heat the feed Water by the exhaust steam from the auxiliary engines, this exhaust steam after being passed through the heater being discharged to atmosphere. A

By the apparatus constituting the subgect matter of my applications above referred to, certain economies are effected by'utilizing the exhaust from both the main and auxiliaryIv engines for heating the feed Water supplied to the boilers. This is accomplished by passing the steam from the main and auxiliary engines through adrum having longitudinally extending pipes through which the feed water is passed. the drum being connected to` a condenser and the feed water being supplied to the inlet end of the drumv from this condenser. WVith this apparatus both the main and auxiliary engines are operated as condensing engines as long as the exhaust from 'the feed Water.

By the apparatus of tlieesecond of my applications above referred to, further economies are effected and the feed water is heated to a higher temperature by passing the feed I l p water successively through two chambers, preferably forming separate' compartments of the drum, and by passing the exhaust steam from the main vengine through one chamber and then to the condensing means,

engines through the second chamber. The outlet from the second chamber through both types of .engines is utilized in heatingand the exhaustA steam from the auxiliaryv which the steam is led from this chamber,

is alsovconnected to the condensing means,

but through a back-pressure valve |which maintains the steam in the chamber at the saine pressure as though the steam were disraised still further in the second chamber. i

At the end of the second chamber, or at the outlet endof the drum a settling chamber is provided, and after the feed water is led or conducted 'from the-tubes of the second chamber it passes under a vertical baille over the settling chamber and is vthen conducted by a suitable outlet pipe to the boilers.

The exl'iaust treating apparatus consti- .tuting the subject matter of the present invention has all the advantages of the apparatus described in my prior applications, and

certain important advantages, the main object being to effect further economies in the heating of the feed Water, to obtain a better deposit or removal of sediment or impui'ities before the Water is supplied to the boilers,` and to obtain important structural advv-antages by a construction and arrangement which admit of theuse of shorter tubes, and permit them to be mounted in supporting headers, and fastened in place by the usual beading and Hanging method, and which admit of free access to the tubes for replacement or repairs.

In accordance With the present invention, two feed Water heating chambers are employed, one receiving the exhaust steam from then through the chamber receiving the ex-` I haust steam from the auxiliary engines, 4but in accordance with an important feature of the present invention, these chambers are by the usual boiler tube practice, and Without the necessity for special 'packing rl`his intermediateV chamber has a man-hole at* tachment, so that entrance can be had to the chamber for initially mounting the tubes in the headers, or for replacement or cleaning purposes, and in the preferred embodiment ofthe invention a settling chamber is attached to this intermediate chamber.

As a further improvement, settling chambers are attached to a chamber at the inlet end of the drum'in advance of the front header of the first heating chamber, as vvell as to a chamber at the outlet endof the drum.

As a further improvement I provide a filter in this outlet compartment for use in conjunction with the settling chamber beneath it, the arrangement of the filter and settling chamber being suchthat they do not prevent access to the tubes of the adjacent "heating chamber, While .at the Same time they are highl clari ying the Water.

The invention may be further briefiy summarized as consisting incertain novel details of construction, and combinations and arrangements of parts Which will be described in the specification and set forth in lthe appended claims.

In the accompanying sheets of drawings, Fig. 1 isa diagrammatic or conventional view of the apparatus in which my invention is embodied, certain parts being shown lin section and other parts in elevation, but omitting such parts as the main and auxiliary engines and boilers which are not essential to an un'.-

derstanding of the invention; Fig. 2 is a slightly enlarged,` fragmentary, longitudinal sectional view of the middle portion of the drum; Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view substantially along the line 3 3 of Fig-s. 1 and 2; and Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view substantially along vthe line 4-4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view of the apparatusshowing the relationshipof thev `main engine, auxiliary engines and boiler with respect to the condenser embodying the present invention.

'While I do not regard it essential that the feed lWater heating chambers or compartments and the associated chambers to which the] settling chambers are attached be formed in one continuous element, that arrangement is preferred. Accordingly I employ a horizontal drum 10, closed at its ends by heads 11 l 'and 12. In this drumare formed two feed` waterheating chambers 13 and 14, the cham-vf ber 13 being longer than the chamber 14 and effective in removing sediment andbeing adapted to receive the exhaust steam from the main engine M While the. chamber 14 receives the exhaust steam from the auxiliary engines A-A. The ends of chamber 13 are formed by tWo headers 15 and 16, s ecured in place on the interior of drum 10, the

header 15 being a suitable distance from the head 11 and forming with thelatter an inlet chamber'17 for the feed Water. l

The ends of chamber `14 are formed by two headers 18 and 19, also secured on the interior of the drum. The two headers 16 and 18 are spaced apart' forming the intermediate chamber 20, and the header 19 is spaced from the head 12, forming With the latter Whatmay be termed the outlet chamber 21. v

As in my second application referred to above, the steam from the main engine M is conducted by a pipe to the Casing of a shutolf valve 22. The outlet from the cut-off valve 22 is connected at^23 to chamber 13 near header 16, and the exhaust from the auxiliary engines Af-A is conducted by a pipe to an inlet 24 of chamber 14 near header 19. Extending diametrically through chamber 13 from header 16 to'a point near header 15 is a horizontal partition 25 which requires the' steam entering at 23 to pass in one direction through the 'upper part of chamber 13, and

ond application referred to, and Will be described briey as follows :'The lower part of chamber13 has beneath theinlet 23.' an

outlet 27 connected to a condenser 28, in thisV instance a jet condenser, to which condensing-k Water is supplied by a pipe 29.

At the bottom of the condenser is 30, and the Water is conducted from.v this tita fitting lois .ting by an air pump 31 to a lchamber 32'from .which the water is pumped byl a feed water pump 33 by pipes 34 and 35 to the inlet chamber 17 at the left hand end of drum 10 as the same isviewed in Fig. 1, The balance of the Water notrequired to be supplied tothe boilers B flows overboard through pipingdesignated as a Whole by the reference character 36. y

Chamber 14, which as before stated, receives the exhaust steam from the auxiliary engines, has an outlet 37 connected by piping 38 containing a back-pressure valve 39, to the condenser at 40, the back-pressurevalve being by-passed'by va shut-0H valve 41 which is nonmal-ly'closed soA that the steam will be maitained'in chamber 14 Whileheating the feed Water, under non-condensing conditions or under the same pressure as would prevail if the exhaust of the auxiliary engines were. discharged to atmosphere.

auxiliary engines at maximum efficiency` the shut-off valve 41 may be opened, in which event theauxiliary engines will be operated as condensing engines. Under such conditions the steam 'in chamber 14 will be at a lower pressure and at a lower temperature than when the apparatus is operating normally, and consequentl) the feed water will be heated to a less extent than normally, but under these conditions the main engine is not in operation and it is not so important that the feed water be heated to as high a temperature as during normal operation.

When the main engine is not in operation, in Which-event the air pump 31 is idle since it is operated by the main engine` the feed water is pumped from the fitting,` 30 b v an auxiliary pump 42 which is normally idle.

Mounted in the headers 15 and 1G and extending through chamber 12,) are a number of horizontal feed water pipes 43, these pipes connecting inlet chamber 17 to the intermediate chamber 20. and mounted in headers 18 and 19 are similar feed water pipes 44 connecting the intermediate chamber 20 to the outlet chamber 21. It Will be understood that the feed water flows through the drum from one end to the other from inlet chamber 17 through tubes 43 of heating chamber 13, into intermediate chamber 20; then through the tubes 44 of chamber 14; and then into outlet chamber 21. As it passes through tubes 43, the temperature of the water is elevated by the exhaust steam from the main engine, and while in chamber 20 it loses prac-. tically no temperature, especially as the headersland 18 are heated by being in contact with the steam. As the water passes through the tubes 44 of chamber 14 its temperature is elevated still further by the exhaust from the auxiliary engines, this exhaust steam being at a higher temperature than the exhaust steam in chamber 13. since the auxiliary engines are operating under non-condensing conditions and the pressure and therefore temperature of the steam in chamber 14 is higher than that in chamber 13.

There is a sufficient space between the headers 16 and 18 to permit the use of a man-hole and man-hole cover 45, so that a workman may enter the intermediate chamber 20 to either install or remove the feed Water tubes 43 and`44, and since the heads 11 and 12-are removable, entrance can be had to the-end chambers 17 and 21. The construction is such that the tubes can be mounted in the Aouter headers 15-a1id 19 and in the intermediate headers 16 and 18 by the usual beading,r and Hanging process employed in boiler constructions, thus doing away with the necessity of But 'when the vessel is in port and it is dci-lred to operate the' special packingr as would be required if the in chambers 13 and 11i-,since that in chamber 13 is below atmospheric and that in chamber 14 above atmospheric, will be obvious.

The addition of the intermediate chamber 2O additionally enables me to make provision for removal of sediment from the feed water between the two stages of heating'. by the application of a settling chamber -1-0 to the bottom of the intermediate ch-.m'ihrr 20. Additionally I prefer to attach similar settling;` chambers 4T and 48 to the lower sides of the inlet and outlet chambers 1T and 2l. lnasmuch as the velocity of the fer-l water while passing` through the chambersl 1T. 2O and 2l is relatively slow, an excellent opportunity exists for the deposit of sediment. ln practice the coarser particles are deposited in the first chamber 47. The' ner particles and also some of the relatively coarse particles will be deposited in: chamber 4G, it beine' understood thattthe. temperature of the water inv chamber 20 considerably above that in chamber '17., and therefore the conditions for the precipitation bf sediment and other foreign particles is enhanced since the removal of lforeign particles from heated water talics place'mor-e readily than from relatively cold water. Further sedment will collect in thev final settling chamber 48, the tcn'ipcrature o t the Water-in chamber 21 being still higher. and the conditions for the precipitation ol' foreign matter still further enhanced.

To still further insure the supplying of clean water to the boilers B, I provide immediately above settling chamber 48, and at the top of compartment 21, a filter chamber 49 at the `base of Which is a filter 5t) which may contain anyV suitable filtering material, and through which the heated feed water passes upwardly tothe upper part of the filter chamber, which has an outlet 51 to which a pipe is adapted to be connected leading to the boilers.

It is obvious that the major portion of the particles filtered out from the water will cling to the lower surface ofthe filter, at least temporarily, but such as detaches'itself from the surface, and 'the foreign particles removed from` the filter on 'cleaning the same, particularly,by theapplication of steam or other medium funder pressure from above, Will find its way into the settling chamber 4S beneath.

loo

The filter chamber is preferably 'provided with a by-pass 52, normally closed by a shutoft' valve 53, this by-pass being employed toby-pass the feed water around the lfilter 50 in the event that the filter should 'become clogged i to an extent sufficient to impede the free liow liltering material without removing the head of the filter chamber.

It should he noted that while the lower settling chamber 48 and the filter are relatively arranged so. as to obtain the best results in the way of removal of sediment and other foreign matter. nevertheless neither prevents free access to the endsvbot' the tubesmounted in header 1f) when the head l2 is removed.

The vsettling chambers being dead-ended, have no circulation within them; consequently the precipitate will tend to fall freely to the bottom without inuch tendency to cake or form hard crusts, as is common in apparatus where the collection occurs in more heated portions. There being no vanes or baiiies in the settling chambers which require scrubbing or similar treatment for cleaning pui'poses, the cleaning of the settling chambers is accomplished by the simple process of blowing off1 through suitable valves anranged at the lower ends of these chambers. This is a feature of advantage in marine work, as it makes possible the proper care ofthe apparatus without delaying the operation` of the vessel. B y employing the several settling chambers at different points of the apparatus where the feed water is at different temperatures, and applying the filter at the point where the feed water leaves the apparatus and passes to thc boilers, the major portion of impurities aie separated by the gravity method,

land inl an easily removable manner, and reduces to a minimum the frequency of cleaning or renewal of the filter.

` Finally it might be mentioned that by providing the two-stage feed water heater with the heating chambers and the end and intermediate chanibers to which the settling chamlbers and filter are applied, all in one unitary structure or continuous device, in effect one piece of apparatus performs the functions of several. compactness is obtained to a high (legi'ee. and much-,piping and other sources ,of complication are eliminated. avoiding unnecessary loss of heat and gain in space. along with reduction in weight, all of which in marine work increases the useful load-carrying capacity of the vessel.

. Thilo I have shown the preferred construction or arrangement. I do not desire to be conlined to the exact details or arrangements shown, as modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scopeof' the invention, and I aim in my claims to cover all such modifications.

Having described my invention, I claim:

l. In combination in a steam power plant of the type having a main engine and a plurality of aiixiliary engines adapted'to be supplied with steam from boilers, means for heating feed water for the boilers from which the steam is supplied comprising two heating chambers and an intermialiate chamber 'through which the feed water passes successively, the two heating chambers adapted to receive steam delivered from the main and auxiliary engines for heating the feed water.

2. -ln combination in a vsteam power plant of the type having a main engine and a plurality of auxiliary engines adapted to be supplied with steam froni boilers, means for heating they feed water adapted to be supplied to the boilers comprising two heating chambers having feed water tubes extending therethrough and an intermediate chamber conengines adapted to be supplied) with steam from boilers, means for heating the feed water supplied to the boiler or boilers of the plant comprising two heating chambers and' an intermediate chamber through which chambers the feed water passes successively, and means for passiiigsteain delivered from the mai'n and auxiliary engines through the two heating chambers, the intermediate chamber having a settling chamber applied thereto. 4. In a steam power plant of the type having a main engine and a plurality of auxillary engines adapted to be supplied with steam from boilers, a feed water heating apparatus comprising two heating chambers with an intermediate settling compartment, and means for passing exhauststeam from the main engine through one heating chamber and the exhaust steam from the auxiliary engines through the other heating chamber. 5. In a steam power plant of thetype having a main engineand a plurality of auxiliary engines adapted to be supplied with steam from boilers, a feed water heating apparatus comprising two heating chambers with an intermediate settling eliamber,'and means'for passing exhaust st-eam`fiom the main engine through one heating chamber and the exhaust steam from the auxiliary engines through the other heating chamber. the first under condensing conditions and the second under' non-condensing conditions whereby the feed water is heated to a higher temperature in the ioo engines adapted to be supplied with steam from boilers, a feed water heating apparatus comprising a drum havingK two heating chambers through which steam delivered from the main and auxiliary engines is adapted to be passed, and having auxiliary chambers at the ends and intermediate the heatingchambers, the feed water passing successively through all said chambers.

7. In a steampovver plant of the type having a main engine and a plurality of auxiliary engines adapted to be supplied with steam from boilers, a feed water heating apparatus comprising a drum having two heatingvcham- .bers through which steam delivered from the main and auxiliary engines is adapted to be passed, and having auxiliary chambers at the ends and intermediate the heating chambers the feed water passing successively through all said chambers, and settling chambers connected to said auxiliary chambers.

8. In a steam power plant of the type having a main engine and a pluralityof auxiliary engines adapted to be supplied with steam from boilers, av feed water heating apparatus comprising a drum having two heating chambers through which steam delivered from the main and auxiliary engines is adapted to be passed and provided with tubes for the flow of water therethrough, an intermediate chamber between said heating chambers and chambers at both ends of the drum, means for supplying feed water to be heated to one of said end chambers,and a feed water outlet at the other end chamber whereby the .feed water passes successively through all said chambers.

9. In a power plant having main and auxiliary engines, a feed water heating apparatus comprising a 'drum having two heating chambers provided with water tubes extending therethrough and having an intermediate chamber to which access may be had, and end chambers to one of which feed water to ybe heated is supplied andfrom the other of which the feed water is supplied to the boiler, means for supplying exhaust steam from the main engine to one of said heating chambers under condensing conditions, and means for supplying exhaust steam from the auxiliary engines 'to the other heating chamber under non-condensing conditions.

10. In a power plant having main and auxiiiary engines, a feed water heating apparatus comprisin a drum having twoheatingchambers provided with water tubes extendingn therethrough and having an intermediate chamber to which access may be had, and end chambers to one of-which feed water to be heated is supplied and from the other of which the feed water is supplied to the boiler, means for sup lying exhaust steam from the main engine tiirough one of said heating chambers under'condensing conditions, an

means for supplying exhaust steam from the auxiliary engines to the other heating chamber under non-condensing conditions, said intermediate and end chambersv having settling chambers attached thereto.

l1. In a steam powerplant of the type having a main engine and a plurality of auxiliary enginesadaptedto be supplied with steam from boilers, a feed water heating apparatus comprising a drum provided with two heating chambers adapted to receive steamdelivered from theJnain and auxiliary engines at different temperatures and having means for conveying feed Water therethrough, and a chamber atfthe end of the drum adapted to receive the heated feed water and having a lter fromwhich the feedwater is adapted to be conducted to the boiler.

12. In a steam power plant of the'type having a main engine and a plurality of auxiliary engines adapted to be Asupplied with steam from boilers, a feed Water heatin apparatus comprising a drum provided wit a heating chamber adapted to receive steam delivered from the main and auxiliary enginesand having means for conveying feed water therethrough, and a chamber at the end of the drum adapted to receive the heated feed water and having a filter at the top and a settling chamber at the bottom. l y n 13. In'a steam power plant of the type having a main engine and a plurality Aofauxiliary engines adapted to be supplied with steam from boilers, a feed Waterheating apparatus comprising `a drum having two heating chambers through which steam delivered from the main and auxiliary engines is adapted to be passed and having means for conducting feed water therethrough a settling chamber between said heating chambers, and a combined settling and filter chamber through which the feed Water passes before being conducted to comprising al drum having two sections p rovided with tubes for the flow of water and adapted to have steam delivered from the main and auxiliary engines at diferent'temperatures passed therethrough, an access and settling chamber arranged between said sections, an inlet chamber at one end of the drum to which the water to be heated is supplied, and an outlet chamber at the opposite end of the drum having settling and filtration means attached thereto.

15. In a steam power plant of the type having a main engine and a plurality of auxiliary engines adapted to be 'supplied with steam from boilers, a feed water heating apparatus comprising a drum having two sections prosaid sections, and for passing steam through the other section under non-condensing conditons.A

In testimony whereof, I hereunto afx my signature.

` ALBERT J. ARMsoN. 

